I was looking through the refrigerator today, trying to find anything for lunch. And there it was. That bowl of leftover chicken. I knew if I complained that I could not find anything to eat, the first response from my Dad would be, “Why don’t you eat some chicken?” No way. I had to get rid of this chicken right away before I was required to eat it. The emergency was real. And that is when my spazzy dog came running up to me and nudged me for a dog treat. Aha! Could I get rid of these leftovers by making healthy dog treats?
Use Leftover Chicken for Homemade Dog Treats:
Once my sneaky way of getting rid of the leftover chicken idea was hatched, I found a recipe that required only a few ingredients, which we had on hand.
Before anyone noticed, I dumped the chicken into the food processor along with the rice and chicken stock. Was I ever glad I was not making this for my lunch!
Next, I added the egg and flour and started mixing.
After making a mess, I realized that this was too dry. I slowly added 1/4 cup more water until I was able to form a dough. (I think this was because Dad overcooked the chicken on the grill last night and it was super dry, but don’t tell him I said that.)
At this point, I got rid of the spoon and just used my hands.
Playing with Dog Treat Shapes:
After rolling out my dough, I went into the pantry and started pulling out all sorts of shapes. I started with the dog bone, but then I thought it would be pretty funny to use the bunny.
My sister will be so mad when she sees our dog Lola eating a bunny. We have to work pretty hard to keep her away from Sir Albert upstairs because we can’t trust our dog not to eat him. While I think it is funny, I doubt my bunny-loving sister will agree. However, she does love all food to be shaped like a bunny.
I also decided to use some of our Christmas shapes. This would make a great present for your dog around the Holidays. We also have these homemade birthday dog treats you should try!
Train with Leftover Chicken Dog Treats:
One of my goals is to teach Lola how to balance a treat on her nose while waiting for my command. But my Mom said that she has been getting fat with all of the store-bought dog treats that I have been using. I told this to Lola, but somehow I don’t think she cares. However, she obviously likes homemade dog treats better.
Needless to say, she loved these healthy chicken dog treats. And I no longer have to eat leftover chicken!
How to Make Leftover Chicken Dog Treats
I did not want leftover chicken for lunch. The emergency was real. I had to get rid of it. The solution was simple: make leftover chicken dog treats.
Ingredients
- 6 Ounces Leftover Boneless Chicken Breast, boiled or grilled; cooled
- 1/2 Cup Cooked Wild Rice; cooled
- 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
- 2 ½ Cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine chicken, rice and chicken stock in a food processor or blender and pulse until a paste forms.
- Add the flour, and egg to chicken mixture and stir. If it is too dry, slowly add a few teaspoons of water until it comes together.
- Sprinkle a little flour on a flat surface and knead dough until it's no longer sticky; then roll it out with a rolling pin until about ½-inch thick.
- Cut out shapes and place them on a parchment paper or silicone lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until light brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
- Store for up to one week in an air tight container in refrigerator, though we will be freezing them as that is a lot of treats for one week!
Notes
Adapted from Carries Experimental Kitchen